Ryerson's Campus Connection

Trudeau visits the GTA

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in the GTA Monday where he met with residents, politicians and business leaders in Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto and Vaughan.

Trudeau’s day began in Brampton where he had a meeting with Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey and some local MPs. He spent approximately one hour in the city.

There, he and the local dignitaries discussed, among other topics, job creation, infrastructure projects and transit revitalization in regards to plans for two-way, all day GO Train service in Brampton.

Later that morning, the prime minister went to Mississauga where he met with Mayor Bonnie Crombie and some Mississauga MPs.

A large crowd gathered in Mississauga City Hall to greet the prime minister. One group of individuals even held up a “We heart U J.T.” sign, though Trudeau did briefly face some heckling.

During his time in Mississauga, Mayor Crombie said she and the local dignitaries discussed the city’s pre-budget submission to the federal government, which seeks federal funding for transit, infrastructure and affordable housing projects.

After the noon hour, Trudeau then went to Toronto where he met with representatives from the automotive industry. The automotive industry officials said they did not seek any additional funding from the federal government. They also mentioned the meeting focused on obtaining reassurance that the automotive industry would remain stable in spite of U.S. President Donald Trump’s talks about restructuring the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Overall, automotive officials believed the meeting was productive and encouraging.

To finish off his GTA trip, Prime Minister Trudeau made a quick stop at Father Ermanno Bulfon Community Centre in Vaughan. There, Trudeau had a meet-and- greet with local Vaughan residents who packed the community centre. Trudeau took selfies, shook hands with residents and met with members of a local senior’s club.

The prime minister’s visit to the GTA follows his visits to the United States, France and Germany during the week of Feb. 13.